Damper regulator



E. H. WEATHERHEAD AND H. T. PATTUN.

- DAMPER REGULATOR.

APPLICATION. FILED SEPT. H3, 1919- 1,438,34 I Patented Dc.12,1922.

five/avers Patented Dec. 12, 1922.

UNlTED TATESJ titans PATENT caries.-

EDWARD H. W ATHER EAD, or onnvnnnnnnnrenrs, AND. Hen 2?. narrow, or

CLEVELAND, OHIO, essrsnons To THE. Elsi-I01 AND. BABooo-K COMPANY, or;

CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION: QF OHIO,

DAMPER BEGULATQIBI.

Application filed September 18, 1919, Serial'fNo. 324,405,.

Toiall whom it'may concern:

Be it known that we, EDWARD H. VEA'PH- ERI-LEAD and HAL T. PATTON,citizens of the United States, and residents of Cleveland 5 Heights,county of Cuyahoga, State of Ohio,

permitting the fluid pressure which operates the damper to. escape. fromthe valve or casing in case of a sudden increase to the pres sure abovethe normal limits. The present damper regulator is of the type employinga metallic bellows of high elasticity and consequently having arelatively thin wall. Such a bellows is extremely flexible and elasticwithin certain limits, and is so easily actuated; that an increase ofpressure beyondthat usually occurring will expand the bellows beyondthe. elastic limit of the material, and many times rupture thecorrugated walls of the bellows. It is to prevent this action that thepresent improvements are intended. To the accomplishment of theforegoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the meanshereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawing and the following description set forth in detailcertain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed meansconstituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which'theprinciple of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawing:-

Fig. 1 as a transverse vertical section through our improvedregulator;Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same; and-Fig.3 is an enlarged view of oneof the valves shown in Fig. l.

In Figs. 1'

and 2there is shown a disklilre cylindrical casing 1, having an opening2 formed centrally in its lower surface and there provided with adownwardly extendcasing 1.

ing threaded" boss 3f'disposed about such opening and adapted to beattached to a fluid pressure conduit, such as a steam pipe, extendingupwardly-from a boiler or steam' line. Upon the upper surface of thecasing lis p'ivotal'ly mounted a lever 4 provided with adjustableweights 5 and 6 upon either s-Ideof its axis and adapted for connectionto damper-operating chains, (not shown) at ei't-herend. It is usual insuch constructions to operate two dampers or valves sinn11tane-' ously,onebeing closed while the other is opened. Extending downwardly from thelever 4 isarod 9, which is pivot-ally attached to a lever 8, and whichpasses through an opening lO-l ormed in the'top of the casing 1, whereit is attached to the upper plate 11 of the bellows. The bellows consistof the tallic bellows 12*, which is similarly integrally attached to theplate at its other end, which plate forms the bottom of the The lowerend of the bellows is thus fixed to the-casing, while theupper end,upon; expansion of the bellows, serves to lift the plate 11 and the rod9, and thus swing the damper regulating bar 4 about its axis.

The operation of a regulator of this type is control'led by the pressureof the steam inthe bellows, the interior of the bellows being always inconnection with the steam line from the boiler. If" the pressure israised the bellows expands, swinging the lever 4 and lifting one end,while lowering the other. Ona decrease in the pressure the oppositeaction is secured, the bellows being contracted, and the rod 4 swung inthe opposite direction.

Our improvements relates to a means for preventinginjury to the bellowsupon an unusual rise in pressure, and comprises means for closing thebellows to the admission of steam after a predetermined pressure existsin the bellows chamber, and at the same time. allowing the pressureexisting in the bellows chamber to escape through the top of thebellows. Extending downwardly from the plate 11 of the bellows is anopen chamber 13, within which is mounted a tapered'va-lve' 14 and rod 15attached thereto. Between the end of the open chamber 13 and the valve14' is mounted a spring 16, which normally maintains the valve 14against its seat formed in the end of the rod 9, and closescommunication with the atmosphere through the passages 1? and 18. Therod 15 extends vertically through the bellows and into the openingformed inthe boss 8, where it carries a valve adapted to engage againsta seat 21. The seat 21 is conveniently formed of a threaded and flangedcollar 22, of which the flange abuts against the upper surface of theplate 2, while the threading engages with a nut or collar 23 below theplate, thus locking the collar in position. As the lower end or plate24L of the bellows is integrally engaged around its outer edge with theplate 2, the locking action of the flange on the collar 22, when engagedwith the nut 28, serves to make a steam-tight joint between the bottomwall of the bellows and the plate 2 at the opening through which passesthe rod 15. The lower plate of the bellows is of course apertured to thesame size as the opening 2.

During the normal range of expansion of the bellows the valve 20is neverseated, While the valve lat is maintained on its seat to close the upperwall of the bellows. Thus, for any normal range of steam pressure thebellows will actin the usual manner, or upon any. increase of pressurein the bellows above a predetermined amount, the

bellows, when expanded an unusual distance, will pull the valve 20 ontoits seat and thus prevent the further admission of steam. The rod 15 isthen held while the steam pressure in the bellows acts against theentire surface of the plate 11 to move this plate upward, and at thesame time move the rod 9 away from the valve 14. This action will openthe passages 17 and 18 to the interior of the bellows and permit theescape of the high steam pressure to the atmosphere through the passages17 and 18.

Ordinarily there should be no such further travel of the upper plate ofthe bellows, once the valve20 is closed, but in actual practice thisvalve sometimes becomes slightly scaled or corroded so that it will notseat periectly and some additional fluid pressure will leak past it andincrease the pressure in the bellows. If the steam pres= sure in thebellows were allowed to increase it would of course rupture the bellows,but

this is prevented by the opening of the valve. 14 it the increase iscontinued. After the steam pressure has been discharged from the bellowsit will contract, bringing the tube 9 again into engagementwith'thevalve 14, and, upon further movement, reopening the valve 20 andpermitting the bellows to act in the usual manner.

Other modes of applying the principle oi; our invention may be employedinstead of the one explained, change being made as re ards themechanismhereindisclosed,

and contraction of said bellows under the influence of such fluidpressure, valve means operated upon predetermined expan sion of saidbellows to close the same against further admission of fluid pressure,and other valve means operable upon further expansion of said bellows toopen the same to the atmosphere.

2. In a damper regulator, the combination of a casing, a cylindricalbellows member mounted. therein and having one end fixed to said casing,means adapted to admit fluid pressure to said bellows, dampercontrolling means operable uponexpansion and contraction of said bellowsunder the influence of such fluid pressure, valve means operated uponpredetermined expansion of said bellows to close the same againstfurther admission of fluid pressure, and a valve normally closing a portin the movable end wall of said bellows, said valve having apredetermined travel with respect to said other end of said bellows,whereby expansion of said bellows beyond .a predetermined amount willopen said last fluid pressure to said diaphragm, damper controllingmeans operable upon expansion and contraction of said diaphragm underthe influence of such fluid pressure, valve means operated uponpredetermined expan- S1011 of said diaphragm to close the same againstfurther admission of fluid pressure, and other valve means operable uponfurtherexpansion of said diaphragm to open the same to the atmosphere.

l. In a damper regulator, the combination of a casing, a cylindricaldiaphragm member mounted therein and having one end fixed to saidcasing, means adapted to admit fluid pressure to said diaphragm, dampercontrolling means operable upon expansion and contraction of saiddiaphragm under the influence of such fluid pressure, valve .meansoperated upon predetermined expan= respect to said other end of saiddiaphragm, whereby expansion of said diaphragm beyond a predeterminedamount will open said last-named valve.

5. In a fluid pressure regulator, the combination of a casing, adiaphragm member mounted therein and having one edge fixed to saidcasing, means adapted to admiilt fluid pressure to said diaphragm, fluidpressure controlling means operable upon movement of said diaphragmunder influence of said fluid pressure, valve means operated uponpredetermined expansion of said diaphragm to close the same againstpassage of said fluid, and a. valve normally closing a port in saiddiaphragm, said valve having a predetermined travel with reference tosaid support whereby an excess movement of the diaphragm beyond apredetermined limit operates to open said valve port in said diaphragmto release the pressure on same.

Signed by us, this 11th day of September, 1919.

EDWARD H. WEATHERHEAD,

HAL T. PATTON.

